look at her, but he watched a pencil of sunshine, piercing the
leaves overhead, faintly gilding the bunches of green grapes that
had a film of soot on their greenness, and then creeping down to
rest on the heliotrope in her lap.

"Yes!" said Elizabeth. "Isn't it the most exciting thing you ever
heard? David, I want to show you something." She peered out
through the leaves to make sure that they were unobserved. "It's
a terrific secret!" she said, her eyes dancing. Her fingers were
at her throat, fumbling with the fastening of her dress, which
caught, and had to be pulled open with a jerk; then she drew
half-way from her young bosom a ring hanging on a black silk
thread. She bent forward a little, so that he might see it. "I
keep it down in there so Cherry-pie won't know," she whispered.
"_Look!_"

David looked--and looked away.

Elizabeth, with a blissful sigh, dropped the ring back again into
the warm whiteness of that secret place. "Isn't it perfectly
lovely? It's my engagement ring! I'm so excited!"

David was silent.

"Why, David Richie! You don't care a bit!"

"Why, yes, I do," he said. He took a grape from a bunch beside
him, rubbed the soot off on his trousers, and ate it; then
blinked wryly. "Gorry, that's sour."